Skin deep?

There is a billboard that kind of rankles me---Isn't that a great word---rankles. The billboard shows a picture of a beautiful young woman and the sign says, 'Make your inner beauty jealous'. Interestingly enough I couldn't remember what company the ad represented so I had to look it up to find that it is of course for a beauty salon. I thought it was for plastic surgery or something. Anyway...inner beauty to me is something special--something genuine--not something that would get jealous. The ad is clever and the statement is bold. I enjoy clever and creative ads but the idea of making your inner beauty jealous rankles me because it devalues inner beauty. That is not too surprising considering that we live in a society that places great value on outer beauty and on top of that, modern advertising frequently combines clever with crass which for me makes an unsettling combination.

Don't get me wrong, I think women should take care of themselves and do what they can to present a beautiful face and fit (nicely covered) body to the world. I have used makeup from the moment my parents first let me and I really enjoy going to the beauty salon to get my hair cut and styled. Makeup makes me feel dressed up and good hair days help me face the world more confidently. I must admit having a hard time letting people beyond my own family see me without my hair and makeup done (In the past whenever I have gotten up my courage and decided I looked okay people have expressed concern either vocally or through their facial expressions about my health).

Even some really young girls feel a need to not only wear make-up and have their hair done but also deem it necessary to be tanned, have their nails done, their teeth whitened,  and be waxed , polished, and enhanced in order to truly look their best. That is a costly attitude not just financially but emotionally. It sets expectations at a high and often unrealistic level  and perhaps the worst result of all is that it pushes inner beauty farther down on the list of important qualities. Besides if so many people weren't obsessed with looking beautiful then the rest of us wouldn't feel so bad about our unruly hair, our pasty white skin,  our unpolished nails, or our off-white teeth. I am pretty low-maintenance and definitely not beauty salon savvy because I am lazy and a cheapskate. There are some fortunate people who are naturally beautiful and we should really try to be happy for them and not mad at them. One of my daughters has said that she thinks that no one is ugly. I think that is a good attitude. There is beauty in everyone. We all know people that may be considered plain or even homely by some people's standards but we don't think of them as anything less than beautiful because of who they are. I think the most beautiful people are beautiful from the inside out.

I probably shouldn't get so rankled about a billboard. It will only add to the creases in my forehead. (Gasp!) I just think that it is pretty silly to think of our outer beauty competing with our inner beauty. They should compliment each other and not compete. There is enough contention to deal with without our insides turning green with envy because our outsides look so darn good!

I think I will go and try to do something with my hair and dark circles and while I'm at it say a prayer of gratitude that I have hair and eyes to see my dark circles---in hopes of touching up my inner beauty.